


Your Heritage Then

by idrilhadhafang



Series: The Good Timeline [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Din Djarin and Grogu | Baby Yoda Feels, Fluff, Gen, Grogu | Baby Yoda Needs a Hug, Light Angst, Minor Leia Organa/Han Solo, Minor Shara Bey/Kes Dameron, POV Grogu | Baby Yoda, Past Kidnapping, Poe Dameron & Ben Solo Friendship, Post-Canon, The Mandalorian (TV) Season 2 Spoilers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, in a really weird way?, like a little dollop of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28750722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Grogu, or baby Yoda, and his experiences with Luke’s Temple after Luke takes him there.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda & Luke Skywalker, Grogu | Baby Yoda & Everyone
Series: The Good Timeline [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107791
Kudos: 44
Collections: Bad Day Collection, Darkpilot Sentence Starters, Darkpilot YouTube





	1. Luke

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: ...okay, I’m aware this is pretty weird. 
> 
> Basically, a friend of mine texted me this theory that the Sequels were set in an alternate reality where Grogu/Baby Yoda was being held captive by the First Order (hence how Snoke was created) and my muse went to town: https://youtu.be/iPR9mMgaFvk
> 
> P.S. If this comes off as me fumbling, I apologize in advance. I hope this is still enjoyable despite being written almost completely fandom blind (I’ve been working my way through Season One and watched some of the Season Two finale to get a handle on what the fuck is going on. I swear I’ll catch up on Mando and company when I have time)

Grogu is already tired by the time nice-human gets back to the Jedi Temple. He’s nothing like Mando, his previous father. The one who has a durasteel exterior and a soft heart. The one who calls him things like “kid” and “little womp rat", the one who does the funny head-butt thing that Grogu assumes is how humans show affection. 

He misses Mando. He isn’t going to lie. He got attached to Mando from the moment Mando saved his life. Saving him from the mudhorn is only fair. If Mando is Papa, nice-human who smells like travel and dust and who’s softer to cuddle with is Uncle. It seems logical, at least to Grogu.

”You’ll see your father again," says nice-human. “The Jedi don’t typically allow attachments...but I think I can make some, well, adjustments as I see fit.”

Grogu’s ears droop. 

"The Jedi weren’t perfect,” Nice-human says. “But they did a lot of good. I hope I can do that amount of good as well.” A beat. “You remind me of a Jedi Master I knew. Got in a tug-of-war with my astromech droid...”

Grogu coos, confused. What kind of Jedi Master did Nice-human meet?

”He was your species," Nice-human says. “He was lonely, but funny. Had a wicked sense of humor...”

Nice-human’s chatter is soothing. It’s not the same as Mando’s, but Grogu finds himself dozing off to it. 

***

Grogu wakes in the fold of Nice-human’s cloak from a nightmare as they reach the Temple. Grogu observes it, curious, nightmare at least put on hold as they draw close. 

“That’s it,” Nice-human says. “That’s the Temple.” Then, “I’m Luke, by the way. Luke Skywalker. What’s yours?”

Grogu can’t speak yet. 

“That’s okay. I’m sure I’ll learn. Welcome to the Temple, little one,” Luke says. "From there...we can begin your training.”


	2. Family Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Grogu get to know each other through art.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Luke’s Jedi Temple has things set up for what he says are usually human younglings. Including weird-looking things called crayons. He chides Grogu, gently, for trying to eat them. Grogu doesn’t mind. It reminds him of Mando, when Mando’s cautioning him not to press the shiny buttons on his ship, or telling him not to choke Cara (the lady Grogu thought was hurting Mando).

Grogu doesn’t want to hurt anyone — at least those who aren’t hurting his family and friends. He just wants them to be safe. Is Mando okay out there? Is he happy?

Luke’s doing something funny with the colorful pencils. Moving his hands and shapes come out. Grogu sees it’s...humans. A lady with a weird braided bun. A little boy with black, messy hair. 

Luke looks over when he’s nearly finished, noticing Grogu staring. “It’s called drawing,” he says. “That’s my family. My sister and my nephew.”

Grogu tilts his head. He doesn’t have a mama; from what he could gather of what Mando and that Ugnaught said, he doesn’t have parents at all. Grogu is glad to have had Mando and now Luke, at least. They’re good people. 

He picks up the crayons and starts drawing. He’s a bit clumsy, but he draws the best approximation of Mando — a brave, armored figure who never takes off his helmet. A lot of gray for him. He draws him holding hands with Grogu. Grogu's new at this, but when he scrawls out his name in the corner and holds up the picture, Luke smiles. 

“You’re good,” he says. “Is that...your guardian?”

Grogu frowns. 

“It means someone who takes care of you.”

That’s better. Grogu chirps an affirmative. 

“You look very happy in that picture,” Luke says. “Your guardian...he must have really loved you." Then, “You’ll see him again. I believe that."

Grogu chirps. He hopes to see Mando again. 

More than anything, he hopes Mando’s happy. He deserves to be happy. 


	3. Ben and Poe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grogu meets Luke’s family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Thank you to everyone who left kudos! You’re amazing.

There are two boys that Grogu meets after seeing Ahsoka again. They’re both black-haired, though one has an olive skin tone, the other a paler one with freckles. One of them brings up the idea that this Jedi Master of Grogu’s species, Yoda, tried to steal Luke’s dinner and got in a fight with Luke’s astromech. 

Grogu wonders why. Why would you steal human food (which seems unappetizing) when there’s frogs and other creatures to eat? It just seems better. He tries to remember his days at the old Jedi Temple before the Sith Lord killed the Jedi (because Sith hate Jedi for some reason). They’re fuzzy now. Even the day the Sith Lord started killing Jedi is blurry; Grogu just knows his Master was scared for him. 

He thinks he can remember Yoda. A jokester, affectionate towards the younglings, wise...everything Grogu wanted to be when he was old enough. Which takes longer than humans. Apparently humans have only seventeen years before they’re adults. 

Grogu wonders how humans cope. 

***

The Dameron home is cozy and warm; even the colors all but show it. Grogu’s practicing drawing again; the crayon’s clumsy, but he’s drawing the two children. Ben and Poe, they’re named. 

Ben’s drawing himself with a blue lightsaber with Poe also holding a lightsaber. Green, in contrast to blue. When Poe stares at the drawing, he says, “Is that kid with the green lightsaber...is that me?”

Ben nods, smiling. “That’s you. I thought I’d give you a lightsaber. Don’t want you to be left out.”

Poe’s smile is practically radiant. “Oh, thank you! That’s so cool!” Then, “You should draw an A-wing. That way I can be a pilot too.”

”Okay.” Ben frowns. “What does it look like?”

Poe takes a model of an A wing off the table. Grogu tilts his head curiously. “That’s what it looks like!” Poe says. “Only it’s bigger.”

Ben sketches it. Of course Poe calls it a good picture, sketched out in angles and colors. 

“Maybe we can be pilots too!” Ben says. “And take...gee, what’s your name?”

Grogu writes his name as best he can. He knows that it's a silly name to humans, but humans have funny names too. Poe. Ben. 

“Oh, Grogu!” Poe exclaims brightly. “You could be our co-co-pilot!”

”Can that happen?” Ben says. 

Poe giggles. “We can do what we want!”

***

Grogu also meets Han, Leia, Shara and Kes. Han, the brown-haired one, tilts his head. “Stars, Luke, he looks like that Jedi Master that picked a fight with Artoo.”

"He was testing me, Han,” Luke says. 

Han rolls his eyes. “Testing your patience, definitely. Kinda cute though. Like a green kath hound puppy.” He squats next to Grogu. “He looks like he’ll use those big dark eyes to scam you out of your credits.”

”Daddy,” Ben whines, “Grogu’s a treasure!”

”Kidding, little bandit! Okay, that was a bad joke. Sorry.”

Even Han seems to like him, even if he seems to tease. “My husband the jokester,” Leia says. She squats next to Grogu. “You’re a friendly little thing, aren’t you?”

Grogu coos curiously. 

Leia looks at Luke. “How old is he?"

"In his fifties, in his species’ years.”

Han sighs good-naturedly. “He probably found the secret to eternal youth.”

Luke smiles. 

Grogu likes them. Even Han, whose jokes fly over Grogu’s head. Grogu just wonders if it’s a father thing. He’s nothing like Mando; he’s more lighthearted and prone to making bad jokes. Still, he has that same affection towards Ben, gushing over Ben’s drawing and telling him what a good job he did. 

Grogu can tell from the look in Ben’s eyes that he worships Han Solo. Wants to be everything like him. It’s how he felt about Mando, at times. 

The grown humans are his friends too. 


	4. Din

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din Djarin and Grogu get in touch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Seriously, everyone who’s been leaving kudos...thank you!

When Mando calls thanks to that comm thing, Grogu is more than excited, cooing softly over the screen. He’s familiar with screens. Of course he is. He remembers looking over one when Luke first rescued them from the Death Troopers. Seeing the lightsaber cutting through the troopers...

“Hey, kid,” Mando says. 

Luke translates for Grogu. Mando is smart and nice, but he’s not good at understanding Grogu’s way of communicating. Grogu can’t yet form these things that other beings call words. Mando’s helmet is back on; he took it off when he was saying goodbye to Grogu, and as far as Grogu knows, that’s a Big Deal in Mandalorian culture. 

“Oh, nice. Made some new friends?" Mando says. 

Grogu chirps. He’s made a drawing of Ben and Poe as pilots, with him as their co-co-pilot. (Why can’t it be a thing?)

He shows Mando. Mando tilts his head. Grogu can’t see his face, but Mando’s body language says volumes. “Oh. Your friends?”

Grogu chirps again. 

“They must be really good kids,” Mando says. 

Luke and Mando talk, something about that black lightsaber-like thing that the Bad Moff threatened Grogu with, and how it means he’s in charge of Mandalore now, or...something. 

“It’s not right,” Mando says. “It should be Bo-Katan’s. I...don’t know if I’m ready to be Mandalore."

”I’m sure that’s what Canderous Ordo said,” Luke says.

Mando snorts. “Yeah, well, Mandalore the Preserver...what he helped do to other worlds during the Mandalorian Wars could be considered a war crime.”

”He redeemed himself.”

Mando pauses. “Sometimes bad people do good things. I suppose restoring Mandalore after what the Empire did to it is a good first start.”

”A good one indeed.”

”I’m not following Satine Kryze’s example either,” Mando says. "No disrespect to Bo-Katan’s sister, but she took things to the opposite extreme. Best I can do is strike a balance.” Then, “I still think Bo-Katan deserves it more."

Grogu pauses. Mando, a leader of his people? That’s good, isn’t it?

Luke pauses. Then, “It’s not easy to take charge of something that really matters,” he says. “Rebuilding something that’s broken. The Empire left...quite a mess.”

”I’ll say,” Mando says. 

Luke continues. “May the Force be with you, Din Djarin. Mandalore will survive and heal. I know it.”

”Thanks for taking care of the kid.”

Luke smiles. “He’s a dear child.”

***

That night, Grogu draws what he imagines Mandalore to look like. Maybe it will be lush and green and full of flowers, a contrast to whatever the Empire did to it. He hopes that Mando will be happy — that all the Mandalorians there will be happy. 


	5. Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moff Gideon’s trial is brought up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: I hope I got Luke’s POV right here.

The Bad Moff’s been taken someplace. It should be good news. Instead, Grogu's sad just thinking about the Bad Moff again. 

Grogu’s too young to get the idea of trauma having a lasting impact, but he knows he just feels bad, even as he draws the Bad Moff. The one with the black lightsaber-like thing. Ben watches during one of Grogu’s visits with him and Poe even as Grogu draws the Bad Moff, a man with an affable face but an ugly heart. 

He draws the troopers in the white armor too. Stormtroopers, they’re called. The strange, twisted figures in the tanks.

”Is that the guy?” Ben says. Grogu doesn’t miss how Luke winces. One of those strange grown-up human things where they try to hide that they’re sad, where they’re more worried for the little ones like Grogu than themselves. 

Grogu doesn’t get it. He’s not helpless. 

Ben continues. “Did he hurt you? Who’d want to hurt you?”

”Yeah,” Poe says. “If he comes back, we’ll fight him. ‘Cause we’re friends.”

Luke sighs, faintly relieved. “Moff Gideon’s in prison right now,” he says. "Your mother will take care of him, Ben. I wish her the best...and hope she, unlike him, sticks to her principles.”

”Why can’t she just go against them?” Ben says. “He’s a bad man!”

”He is, Ben. There are legitimately bad people out there. There are people who I know I have to face, not out of hate or revenge, but for the sake of all life.” Luke pauses. “I don’t like them. That much is obvious.”

”You just ‘don’t like’ them?" Ben says in disbelief.

Luke continues. “Yes. But the way of the Jedi says to love all life. When Bastila Shan rescued Darth Revan, her reasoning was that the Jedi held all life sacred, even that of a Sith Lord. She stuck to her principles, her mode of compassion. The way of the Jedi is to be better than your enemies. I don’t like Moff Gideon. That’s to undersell it. But sticking to our principles is important. It differentiates us from them. We refuse to do anything that ultimately makes us monstrous. In that way, we win.” A faint smile. “And it makes our enemies mad.”

Grogu listens. It is difficult, admittedly, for him to understand. The Bad Moff is...well, a Bad Moff. Why would Luke want his sister to stick to her principles?

”It just sucks,” Ben says. “Grogu’s hurt and sad, and...I don’t want him to be hurt and sad.”

”Me neither,” Poe says. 

“You think that making Gideon pay will take away the pain.”

Ben nods. 

“Understandable,” Luke says. “Truth be told, it’s more complicated than that. Revenge...sometimes it can outlive the person who caused the pain in the first place. It’s one of the reasons a Jedi doesn’t take revenge. It can amplify the pain, and sometimes people who had nothing to do with it get caught up in the crossfire. Someone’s child, someone’s parent. It doesn’t heal you. The relief is temporary at most. You still have plenty of grief and anger to deal with. And I think that was what the Jedi were going for. There are many parts of the Code that are flawed. Written by flawed beings. But the idea of being the bigger being...there’s nothing wrong with that."

”I suppose.” Ben says. Then, "How do we do that?”

"Well, you’re younglings, both of you. There’s nothing you can really do in the end. For me...if I could give your mother advice, it is to conduct the trial fairly and uphold the principles of the Republic. She promised as much to.” Luke smiles faintly. "I have faith she’ll do it.”

***

Grogu has to admit that the idea of sticking to one’s principles, of showing goodwill to others, is new for him. He’s a baby, after all. So are Ben and Poe, even though they’re both a little further along in their stages. 

“I’m glad that some monsters can be saved. From what I get,” Ben says to him. “I still don’t like Moff Gideon.”

”Me neither,” Poe says. 

Grogu coos sadly. He picks up his crayons again. Starts to sketch. What would he even begin to draw, in terms of doing the right thing?

He draws a sun. A sun doesn’t hesitate to give its light. It simply is. And Grogu hopes it shines out on all his friends. They deserve it. 


	6. First Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grogu begins his training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

It’s the next day that Luke begins his training Grogu. Grogu will admit that he is a bit nervous, thinking of when the Bad Moff tried “testing” Grogu’s abilities. But Luke is not like that at all. Luke is a nice man. 

A good man.

”I know that you have some...skill,” Luke says. “You distracted that mudhorn long enough for your guardian to kill it. And you...tried Force Choking someone.” Gently, “We need to teach you not to do that. Force Choking someone isn’t acceptable.”

Grogu nods. He supposes. He just wanted to protect Mando, and there had been something about what Cara had been doing that had made him think she was hurting Mando. Grogu had effectively gotten attached to Mando from the moment that Mando had saved his life. He’d also had a feeling — like Mando was alone for too long and needed somebody. Grogu knows what it’s like to be alone. 

He was alone for a long time the day the Sith Lord came. 

Grogu knows he’s fifty now. Still a baby. It’s not all bad; playing with his friends has made things fun again. 

Luke smiles warmly. “I know that you were trying to help your guardian,” he says. “It’s just a matter of being careful. Physically, because you’re still little and can get tired. But also...it’s mostly teaching you right and wrong. I know I had to learn that.”

Grogu tilts his head. He can feel leftover guilt, and the ever-present fight to stay grounded in what Luke calls principles, right there. 

“When I fought Vader, he threatened turning my sister to the Dark Side,” Luke says. "But I snapped out of it in time. It helped, I suppose, that the Emperor was gloating about it. Taunting me. It reminded me of what I needed to do. Sparing Vader’s life. It helped that...well, Vader and I had a familial connection.”

Grogu frowns. 

“He was my father,” Luke says. “Yeah, I was surprised too."

Grogu doesn’t understand. Fathers are supposed to look after their children. Why would the Sith Lord produce a good thing?

”He wasn’t completely lost,” Luke says. “I think he was just angry and sad and lost. It’s commonly how it is with people on the Dark Side. Those who do evil. Some do it for the sake of it, like the Emperor, but many are just confused and don’t know what they’re doing. It’s one of the reasons we have compassion for them. And they can turn back...but that’s my job, not yours.”

Grogu supposes. He’s glad not to be on the Dark Side. He’s glad that being on the Dark Side doesn’t mean you’re beyond salvation. He still doesn’t understand how Vader could produce two good things. 

***

They start easy. Lifting pebbles. Even as Grogu lifts them in the air, he doesn’t miss Luke’s smile. “You did so well!” Luke says. Grogu knows it’s nothing; he lifted a mudhorn with the Force even though he had to take a nap afterwards. But he’s glad Luke’s happy. 

Luke also reads stuff from the Jedi texts to him. It strikes Grogu that this is the closest thing he has to having stories read out loud to him. 

He listens. Fascinated. There is something about Luke’s voice that just draws him in. Makes him want to hear more. 

***

Grogu is tired. Of course he’s tired. Even as he settles back into his carrier at the end of the day, he’s reassured that here, he is safe. 

He hopes his friends will be safe too. 


End file.
